Jody Sperry was re-elected to a third consecutive term as president of the Conneaut School Board when school directors met in reorganization on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at Linesville’s Alice L. Schafer Elementary School.

Prior to the selection, five school directors were sworn in to new terms, having been elected in November by local voters.

Sworn in for the first time was Don Ellis, Jr., of the Region III area - Conneaut Lake Borough, and the townships of Sadsbury, Greenwood, and East Fallowfield.

Ellis defeated Alan Dupper Heil in November to win the 4-year seat being vacated by Lora Zill, who stepped down after 12 years of service.

In the Region II area, Conneautville and Springboro Boroughs and the townships of Summit, Spring, and Summerhill, Gina Mattera McCauley and Dr. Carol Bocan were sworn in to 4-year terms.

McCauley won her first election this year as she and Dr. Bocan ran unopposed for two seats. McCauley, who led the voting in the Region II, was appointed in February to fill the seat vacated by Rick Mason, who resigned and McCauley appointed to fill the balance of his term.

Dr. Bocan has completed 20 years of service on the Conneaut board, having been elected to five consecutive terms.

In the Region I area, two were sworn in, David Schaef and Cheryl Krachkowski, Schaef to a 4 year term, his 7th consecutive term, he having served for over 25 years on the board. He first served an appointment that began in September of 1984, then has been elected to seven 4-year terms since with the first term beginning in December of 1985.

Krachkowski, like McCauley, is a newcomer to the school board. She was appointed in June of this year to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Lee Livingston, who moved from the area.

After being appointed in June, she sought appointment to the ballot in the November elections for a two year term, the balance of Livingston’s term.

District Judge Rita Marwood offered the oath of office to the five.

Sperry was nominated by Dr. Walter Thomas to the board president’s position and was the only nominee. She was elected on a 7 yes vote, none opposed with two absentations, Schaef and Bocan.

Kelly replaces Dr. Thomas, who served as vice president the past year. Kelly was the only nominee for vice president, Schaef offering Kelly’s name into consideration, with all 9 voting for Kelly who is midway through his first 4-year term of office.

Schaef and Thomas were appointed to 3-year terms on the Crawford County Career and Technical School Board [formerly vo-tech]. Kelly was appointed to a 2-year term on the CCCTC board, replacing Lorri Drumm, who resigned in October from the CCCTC board after a nearly a year’s service.

School directors voted to continue to hold voting meetings on the second Wednesday of the month at 7:30 p.m, and work sessions the Wednesday before. All meetings are at the Schafer School with the exception of April's meetings at Conneaut Valley High School, and the September meetings at Conneaut Lake High School.

School directors also set quarterly meetings for review of school district goals, meetings with the superintendent and for other matters that typically don’t get covered in the other regular meetings. It is viewed as a way to move the district forward.

In the work session that followed the reorganizational meeting, school directors heard a report that budgets from the separate schools and other departments are still being handed in despite a deadline of November 13. District budget information must be compiled and ready for an initial vote in early February to meet state deadlines. There is also a January deadline that must be met. Schaef asked why the budgets weren’t in, almost 3 weeks late. No ready response was given.